SWINDON Town’s fringe players have got a big task on their hands if they are to usurp the established first team, according to manager Mark Cooper.

With the exception of one or two positions, Town’s first XI has almost picked itself this season.

With Nathan Thompson suspended for the last two games, Cooper has had to experiment in midfield and defence.

Ben Gladwin, Anton Rodgers and Jake Reeves have all been given opportunities to show what they can bring to the side, firstly in the defeat to Rochdale and then in the draw with Colchester.

Town’s surplus midfielders will probably have to wait until Cooper is forced into changes to get another opportunity, as the County Ground chief is fairly set on the players he wants in his starting XI. Currently the only opportunities for unforced change come at left wing-back and up front where three strikers compete for two spots Asked what the fringe players, namely Reeves, had to do in order to earn a first team spot, Cooper said: “You have to consistently play better than that first nine. Consistently, not just in one game but two or three.

“If you come on as a sub and you’re that good, you get a chance, or when you go into the team for a JPT game, you’re outstanding.

“They know when they come here that those three are probably the first choice, so they’ve got hell of a job on.

“They’re learning for the future. The boys that are maybe not in the team at the minute are going to be here and who knows, we may sell during the summer we might lose players so those boys have got to be ready for next year.”

On Reeves in particular though Cooper was adamant that the club are serious about extending his deal and that chances may arise when international pair Massimo Luongo and Yaser Kasim start to tire.

“If we’re trying to tie him down he’s obviously highly thought of by us. We feel that he can step into somebody’s shoes if they do move on,” Cooper added.

“He didn’t do himself any harm on Saturday. I it was a competent performance and he looks as though he can play in our style.

“He’s unfortunate (that) we’ve got some really good midfield players. He’d probably be in most teams regularly in our league, but we’ve got three that we think are, on their day, up there with the best in the league.

“The boys that come in know they have got a lot of competition with the midfield players that are already here.

“But Massimo has played a lot of games, Yaser has played a lot of games and, at some point, we may have to rest them because they didn’t get a break.”